Bunch rolling table suction control



June 1, 1937. I H. E. CARLSON 2,081,983

BUNCH RO LLING TABLE SUCTION CONTROL Filed April 17, 1955 INVENTOR Patented June 1, 1937 UNlTED" STATES PATENT OFFICE BUNCH ROLLING TABLE SUCTION CONTROL Application April 17, 1935, Serial No. 16,826

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in the bunch rolling tables of scrap bunch or long filler cigar machines, the main object of the invention being to provide means for periodically 5 cutting off the suction in the bunch rolling table. In bunch rolling tables used heretofore, the suction was constantly applied to the rolling apron. With the curved bunch rolling tables of machines designed for making tapered cigar bunches the old arrangement was especially dissatisfactory, as in this type of machine the rolling pin has to make an arcuate swing, thus forming in the rolling apron a forwardly open conical loop wherein the bunch charge is rolled within the binder and from which the rolled bunch is delivered during the forward swing of the rollin'g pin. During the return movement of the rolling pin the portion of the apron behind said pin was held to the table by the suction wherefore the returning rolling pin formed a rearwardly open conical loop in the slack portion of the apron and had to force itself over the entangled mass of apron at the larger end of the conical loop and consequently injuring the same and sometimes jamming the machine.

This arrangement had the further disadvantage of preventing the return of the apron to its correct position on the rolling table after the bunch was rolled, due to the tendency of the rolling pin to pull the apron to one side where it was held by the suction while the rolling pin was returning. The apron was thus held in a position wherein some of its perforations were out of register with the openings through the top of the table into the suction chamber.

In the improved arrangement described hereinafter, the suction is controlled in such a way that no suction is supplied during the return stroke of the rolling pin, thereby permitting the rolling pin to pass under the rolling apron without pinching the conical loop and allowing the rolling apron, by means of its own weight, to fall back to its correct position. The advantage of this, of course, lies in the satisfactory and unin- 45 terrupted operation of the machine for bunches of tapered or other shapes. This new arrangement also prolongs the life of the belt considerably and assures a more uniformly rolled bunch, as the apron always will lie in the same position 50 at the beginning of the cycle.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

55 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bunch rolling device equipped with the suction control mechamsm;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the suction control mechanism, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rolling table taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

In carrying the invention into effect there is provided a hollow bunch rolling table having a perforated top and a suction chamber beneath 10 said perforated top, a bunch rolling apron extending over the top of said table, a bunch rolling pin arranged to engage and form a loop in said apron, means for traversing said rolling pin to and fro along the top of said table to 15 draw the loop thereover, means for applying suction to said suction chamber to retain a bunch binder on said apron in position to be applied during the forward movement of said rolling pin to a bunch charge deposited in said loop, and mechanism for cutting off the suction in said chamber during the return movement of said rolling pin. In the best constructions contemplated, said suction means includes a suction conduit connected to said suction chamber, and said mechanism includes a slide-valve arranged to periodically close the conduit and connected to and controlled by the pin-traversing means, the latter including a cam-actuated operating lever on which the rolling pin is supported.

The specific bunch rolling device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific construction shown and described.

Referring to the drawing, the bunch rolling device illustrating one embodiment of the invention is of the type shown in Patent No. 1,915,525, granted on the application of F. C. Gladeck, et al., and consists of a main frame 5 carrying a 40 bed 5 on which is mounted a bunch rolling table I, having a depressed inner end. To the ends of the latter are attached the ends of a Chianti belt or rolling apron 8. The bunch charge is deposited in a loop formed in the section of the Chianti belt overlying the inner end of the table by a rolling pin 9 and rolled in a binder spread on the Chianti belt in front of the loop, the belt being held taut by a belt tightener roller In which is carried by an operating arm H oscillated from the main drive of the bunch machine (not shown). The rolling pin 9 is journaled in a pair of bearing lugs l2 attached to a yoke l3 straddling the table 1 and pivoted on an upright pintle l4 fixed in a swingable bracket l5 pivoted to an upright stud 16 held by a head I! on an operating lever l8 fulcrumed on a shaft l9 supported in bearings 2Q fastened to the main frame 5. To these lugs ii! are fastened the ends of a guide strip, the apron being threaded between the rolling pin and guide strip as shown in Fig. 3. Lever i8 is actuated through a connecting rod 2i from a bell-crank lever 22 fulcrumed on a shaft 23 supported by bearing brackets 24 attached to table 6. The arm 25 of the lever 22 carries a cam follower 26 engaging with a cam track 27 of a cam 28 mounted on a shaft 29 driven from the main drive of the machine (not shown). In order to cause the rolling pin 9 to maintain a radial position with respect to the rolling table '5 while following its curvature, when used with a curved table for rolling tapered bunches, the yoke i8 is equipped with a pair of guide rollers 38 engaging in an arcuate track 3! formed in the bottom of the rolling table 7.

The latter may be hollow to provide a suction chamber 32 which communicates with a duct 33 in the table 5. Suction is applied to the chamber 32 by means of a suction fan of conventional construction (not shown), connected through a conduit 34 having an elbow 35 communicating with the duct 33 of the bed 6, the elbow 35 being fastened to the bed 6. In elbow 35 is reciprocably mounted a slide-valve 36 operated by means of a lever 3'! fulcrumed on a stud 38 held by bearing bracket 24. A fork 39 formed on the free end of the lever 3'! engages with the ball 40 of 2. lug ii fastened in the hub of lever 22, the oscillating motion of the latter periodically raising valve 36 to cut off the suction in the chamber 32. While the slot 36a in plate 36 communicates with the entrance of duct 33 the suction will be maintained in the suction chamber 32 of the rolling table 1 and act upon the apron 8 and through the perforations in the top of the table I; and since the former is provided with holes 42, also act to suctionally retain the binder placed on the apron. When the slidevalve 36 is raised its perforation 36a is of course moved out of communication with the duct 33 and port 35 and the suction is out off in the chamber 32. During the forward movement of the rolling pin 9 the bunch charge B is rolled within the binder deposited on the apron 8 and the bunch so formed in the loop of the rolling apron is deposited in a clip 43 mounted on the outer end of rolling table I. A guide loop 44 is also attached to the table 6 for the purpose of shielding the vertically reciprocating valve plate 36.

Since the mode of operation has been fully described above, further description thereof is omitted in the interest of brevity. It should be understood, however, that although the invention has been disclosed in connection with a curved bunch rolling table for tapered scrap bunches, it may be applied to straight tables for rolling scrap or long filler bunches of other shapes.

What is claimed is:

In a bunch rolling device, the combination with a curved bunch rolling table for rolling tapered bunches, having a perforated top and a suction chamber beneath said top, of a bunch rolling apron extending over the top of said table, a bunch rolling pin arranged to engage and form a conical loop in said apron, means for swinging said rolling pin to and fro in a horizontally curved path along the top of said table to draw the loop thereover, means for applying suction to said chamber to retain a bunch binder on said apron in position to be applied during the forward movement of said rolling pin to a bunch deposited in said loop, and mechanism for cutting ed the suction in said chamber during the return movement of said rolling pin to free said apron and prevent catching of its folds under the pin.

HJALMAR E. CARLSON. 

